The semi-weekly fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1887-08-23
Poultry Hints.


Confne the old hen in a coop placed
near the garden, and see what havoc the
chicks will make among the insects.
Work quietly and gently among your
fowls. Never allow them to become
frightened. Never allow a strange dog
on the place.
Charcoal has an important cleaning
influence on the fowls system, and is es-
pecially valuable when fed to the laying
hens during the winter season.
Dampness is fatal to young turkeys, and
canses greater loss than anything else.
The essentials to success are heterogeneous
food, warmth, dryness and frequent feed
ing.
1t is not so much the little red mites in
the hen-house that do the damage to
poultry as it is the large gray body lice,
which work on the heads and necks
Look closely for them. as they do not
leave the body of the fowls. The sleepy
disease in chicks, dropping spirits in the
hens and failure to lay, though we'll fed
and in apparent health, may be traced to
the large lice on hens.
Ducklings grow faster than chicks, and
with proper care are ready for market at
the age of from eight to ten weeks. The
eggs hatch well, requiring no turning,
and are thirty-one days in Matching.
They require much the same food as
chicks, but require more meat, as their
nature demands fresh and raw articles
mostly. They do not require water until
they are we'll feathered, except for drink
ing, nor must they even get wet.-Cin-
cinn0ti C0namaerciaL- Gazette.
hi in p I'M in GIIT
Frequently the most difficult work of
the poultryman is that of Kidding the
premises of vermin. Most persons do
not become aware of the presence of
verInin until the little red mites are seen
in myrieds. These can easily be destroyed
by using proper methods. The great
scOurge of poultry is not the mites, but
the large body-louse that hides at the
base of the feathers, on the head and neck.
AS they are only found there on the fowls,
an examination Of the quarters does not
reveal them, when they may be busily at
work on the birds When the hens seem
to droop without apparent cause, the
chances are that close examination on
their heads and necks will reveal swarms
of these lice. Little chicks, especially
those that feather very rapidly, such as
DOrkings, Games, and Leghorns, will
soon succumb to large lice, and often the
cause will be ascribed to something else.
To prevent lice on fowls, the best
thing is the dust bath, which must con-
sist of fine dry clay or coal ashes. If the
quarters are kept clean, the hens will
prevent the attacks of lice by busting,
but when once the lice put in an appear
ance, the poultryman is compelled to
take active measures, as the lice must be
fought until not single one remains.
Kerosene must not be used on the bodies
of the hens, as it will sometimes kill
them. For the large body lice, first
grease the heads, necks, and vents with
mixture made by adding teaspoonful
of crude petroleum to every gill of lard.
Use it warm, so it will spread well. Then
dust the hens we'll with Californian or
Persian Insect Powder. Repeat this every
third day, and dust every portion of tie
body, but do not grease the body-only
the head, neck and vent.-4mericcn -4gri-
culturiSt